


Commander On Your Side

by AzureLightningEmeraldCloud



Category: The 100 (TV), clexa - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon-Typical Violence, Clexa Endgame, F/F, Slow Build
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-01-31
Updated: 2016-08-21
Packaged: 2018-05-17 09:51:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 17
Words: 19,790
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5864641
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AzureLightningEmeraldCloud/pseuds/AzureLightningEmeraldCloud
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This is a little story I started writing a little while ago that has gone far afield from where I thought it would. This is a Clexa story which starts during one of the most gutting moments of the canonical story: when Lexa saves her people at Mt. Weather, leaving Clarke to fight alone.<br/>Everything before is still in, but everything after is now AU for obvious reasons. I have several original characters play big roles, as well as the character called Luna who was initially modeled off of the enigma on the show, but has nothing to do with the canon version of the character with the same name. Not that I disliked Luna on the show, it's just not what I'm doing with the character. </p><p>LEXA WILL NOT DIE, you can rest easy in that. But I can't extend that immortality to everyone. I doubt I'll kill Lincoln either, seriously, fuck canon.<br/>Also, I have some Original Female Characters that will play big roles, more so than most of the canon cast, I think you'll enjoy them though.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. "May We Meet Again"

Part I: "May We Meet Again"

Lexa turned from Clarke, her mask slipping down her left cheek in the form of a solitary tear. She stepped quickly ahead of her guards so that they would not see. Though it was the first of many that the Commander would spill that night and many nights to come, it was the only tear that Clarke saw through the haze of her own. Wha? What, What did you do? Lexa? No Wait! Don't leave me! Come back...Don't leave me… No words escaped her mouth though as an unflappable panic and horror began to make it's home in her stomach. Lincoln's yells were already in the distance as the Heda kom Skaikru stood alone at the gates of her hell as she heard a mournful sounding horn blow from the direction of the retreating army.

Lexa had gone. Lexa left. Lexa took her army and left the Skaikru to die. Clarke tried to reconcile these facts with the Lexa that Clarke knew. Maybe in time, maybe in time, real forgiveness would worm its way into Clarke's heart, but not right now. Right now, the hollow feeling inside her was just too overwhelming. Lexa's decision was 'head over heart'? Sure, Clarke could see that; the more she thought about it, she realised that the frail and broken grounders that limped out of the main entry way must've been herded there by the mountain men… herded with machine guns so that their large number would have been meaningless if they tried to resist.

After all, if Bellamy had done his job, they would've evacuated via the empty mine tunnels in which Clarke was now walking. She didn't count the grounders as they exited, she was just too heartbroken at that moment, but they were surely numbering in the hundreds, far surpassing the toll of the missile strike on Tondc.

Head over heart

Hundreds of Lexa's people or 48 of Clarke's

Clarke was almost sick, but even though she was emotionally in tatters, she recognized the cruel truth of Lexa's response to her desperate question: "What did you do?"

"What you would have done."

And Clark heard the moroseness of Lexa's voice as she said it. Lexa was right of course; but it still hurt, cripplingly.

Clarke's tears were drying, though only through force of will; left alone and without purpose, Clarke would be inconsolable; but her people needed her and so she put her head first, pushing back against the impulse to go back and run after her Heart and try to convince her to stay and fight, for her; even if it was just Lexa and not the whole army. No. Her people came first.

She entered the mine, and was nearly at the entrance to the mountain's innards when she heard a few sets of footsteps quietly keeping pace with her, several metres back. She turned, but couldn't see through the darkness, and couldn't hear anything anymore either. She shook her head, realising it was just her heart playing tricks on her head. She continued on, ignoring the sounds behind her as she began to hear the fuming sounds of Octavia ahead of her. Just as she approached the younger girl, a voice turned her on her heel, also drawing Octavia's attention.

"Yellow Hair. You're Heda kom Skaikru, Clarke. Are you not?" an authoritative and heavily accented voice spoke from the darkness behind them. A female stranger appeared, flanked by two other figures, all uniformly clothed in aesthetically pleasing layers of grey and black cloth and armour. The centre figure was a woman, who appeared to be about thirty, perhaps a little younger, strikingly beautiful and just taller than Commander Lexa. Her voluminous hair was cloaked in the camouflage of her matching coloured armour and cloth. The figure on her right was also a woman, though she appeared closer to Clarke and Octavia's age, and shorter than both, though her ferocious amber-green eyes belied any weakness. Her dark red hair was braided practically behind her head with her bangs braided and pinned so that it hung just outside of her right eye.

The last figure, standing almost aloof to the left of the taller woman was a short man with wild sand coloured un-braided hair. He was shorter than both Clarke and Octavia, of a height with the red-haired girl, though he looked far too confident to hint at any weakness despite his noticeably short stature. Both subordinates looked to their leader, who awaited Clarke's reply.

"I am." Clarke responded, voice raspy from grief, though she was doing a superb job of holding back her tears, most of which had begun to evaporate.

"Who the fuck cares?" Octavia threw back at them, catching Clarke in her verbal barb.

The woman in the middle smirked at the young warrior in front of them. Her vibrant chocolate eyes looked down on the pair of them with half amusement and half pride. "You're trikru, why did you not heed the retreat?" she asked Octavia with her left eyebrow raised.

"I'm also loyal to the Skaikru within the clutches of the monsters through this door, and I'll never leave my brother here to die." Octavia replied heatedly. At this point, the woman stepped forward a few steps and seemed to breath them both it, eyes slowly going back and forth between the blue-eyed Heda with an army of none and a warrior with no people. Her eyes settled on Clarke, and held out her hand, drawing from her hip and extending a familiar sheathed dagger to the blonde Heda and declared, "Jus drein, jus daun, should it not?" The dagger was the same one that Clarke saw being twirled in the hand of the one she loved, it had once saved Clarkes life, flying from the same hand of Lexa, the emerald-eyed Heda. Clarke's eyes widened in recognition, but Octavia frowned quizzically, not understanding exactly what was happening.

Instead of immediately taking the dagger, Clarke looked at it confoundedly, as did Octavia. The man to the side spoke up in a wry tone, "Take the blade Skai Heda, and we will aid you to victory."

Clarke asked the obvious question, "Who are you?"

All three of the figures now were very nearly grinning, this time it was the red haired girl who replied in a similarly accented voice as the tall woman beside her, "We stand apart from the Trikru, but we are loyal to Lexa." She now looked at her superior officer as it were to finish what she started.

The tallest of the three took the other woman's cue and declared, "I am Bianca, this is Maeve and Levi," referring to the red haired young woman and man in turn.

Levi finished the exchange, "Lexa sent us to aid you in whatever capacity you need. You must understand, we will obey your any command, because you are… not just anyone to the Commander. Since she could not be here she entrusted my sister's blade to you as proof of her intent and dedication," he paused briefly but then continued, "Lexa's heart must really bleed for you to afford you such an honour." He wasn't bitter, but almost reverent. Clarke eyed him briefly before carefully accepting the blade from Bianca as Levi finished speaking. Before she could respond, she noticed the letters neatly etched into the hilt and started trembling slightly, new and surprisingly warming tears flooded her eyes as she beheld the truth of Lexa's loyalty to her; the letters etched into the wooden hilt of the blade read: Costia.


	2. They Bleed on Both Sides

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In a chronological overlap, these are the events from Commander Lexa's perspective. This chapter starts at the same moment, but time moves a little faster in this chapter than the last, allowing for Clarke's meeting of the three mysterious individuals at the end of the last chapter.

Part II: They Bleed on Both Sides  
Lexa  
“May we meet again.”  
Lexa turned from Clarke, making sure to step out in front of her flanking guards so that they didn’t see her weakness, her love spilling down her cheeks, accompanying the Mountain Men’s blood still wet on her face.  
Clarke. Those big sky blue eyes just, hurt Lexa so much. Why does it hurt, so much? This was the only decision. Head over heart, she needed to remember that, keep it close and cling to the logic of the situation. Clarke’s Bellamy had failed to deliver on his part of the plan. And now, and now Clarke’s people were in deadly peril. And Clarke? She was just.. Just… her face… how could Lexa have wounded, no, mangled Clarke’s heart like that? She could almost hear Clarke’s inaudible strangled wails of ‘Come back!’  
Lexa force herself to take several deep breaths as she maintained a quickened pace back towards Tondc. No. She needed to keep her head now. She needed to heed her own advice to Clarke before TonDC was bombed; she could not let her emotions stop her now.  
TonDC… all those corpses, the fire blazing and the smoke rising above the trees were going to haunt her. Their lives were not sacrificed in vain. She made the right decision then, and the right decision now. Brutal? Cruel? Absolutely. But ruthlessness was required then, just as it was now. And had she allowed her weakness for Clarke and the pull to spare her blonde Sky Commander tears overpower her head, hundreds of her people would be dead now, and the Mountain Men would be unchecked and free to continue terrorizing her people and turning them into nightmares. Would the Mountain Men hold up their end of the deal? Lexa thought they would, for now. But she knew that time would pass, and then the deal would deteriorate…but she couldn’t sacrifice the hundreds of her people…not again, not like before. They marched for a short while before she heard rather than saw Indra making her way to her.  
By the time Indra had caught up with her from the mines, Lexa’s tears were gone. Lexa noticed that Indra was without her second, Octavia. Lexa raised an eyebrow and Indra replied, “She chose to disobey you Heda, she stayed for her brother. I didn’t have the heart to punish her on the spot for treason.” Indra’s voice faltered at the end. Lexa put a hand on her mentor and general’s shoulder in solidarity.  
“Being ruthless isn’t always the answer Indra, you were right to spare her. Tonight has already cost us Clarke’s faith, it’s good we didn’t poison our relationship with the Sky People further by killing their best warrior as well.” Lexa looked behind her at the lumbering herd of her broken people, most of whom required two soldiers each to support them so that they did not fall. Her eyes narrowed briefly, recognizing the true cost of taking the Maunon’s deal: Clarke’s friendship and whatever that might have leaded to. Wait. Perhaps this was a salvageable situation.  
After the incident with the pauna what with her and Clarke nearly being literally torn to bits of bloody flesh, and Gustus’ betrayal, she decided to call in a favour from her oldest friends, who had been abroad in the western reaches. Remembering the time she spent with Clarke in the cage brought on a fresh wave of guilt before Lexa buried it by picturing the scenario she prevented; hundreds of her people being shredded by gunfire before her eyes as the sum total of her captive people’s corpses would’ve surely piles up, making entrance into the Mountain a moot point for her army. Not only that, but it would’ve shown real tactical fatuousness and weakness; the very kind of weakness that got commanders before her assassinated by their own generals.  
Lexa’s eyes turned toward the trees and sure enough, her unholy trinity of bodyguards were following her progress keenly, Levi bringing up the rear while Maeve and Bianca scouted ahead. She signalled Levi to come down and he signalled the others whose backs were turned to them. Indra gasped as the three of them descended from the trees with preternatural grace. Lexa spared Indra a glance and the ghost of a grin before turning to her and whispering, “Give Lincoln a choice, when we rest. I don’t want him around when his loyalty is absolute to his love, Octavia; If he truly loves her, he will go to her, and he deserves that choice even if he’ll become a Natrona in the eyes of our people for doing so,” Lexa looked to Indra and then said, “I understand exactly how he feels right now, but my tie to duty is stronger than his, but please don’t hate him too much for this,” Indra nodded, dismissed, and disappeared through the ranks to find retrieve their reluctant trikru prisoner. Once she was gone, she muttered something to one of her burly bodyguards and once he had confirmed comprehension of her orders, Lexa beckoned to her dark trinity as she stepped off the path.  
The four of them stepped several metres into the forest as to not be disturbed. “Heda.” Bianca bowed her head as Levi and Maeve echoed this greeting. Lexa touched each of them on the shoulder, tenderly. While Lexa maintained her mask of Command, she allowed a little more humanity into her voice when she addressed these mysterious three.  
“I want you three to do me a large favour,” Lexa began, “I want you to follow Clarke, Heda kom Skaikru and help her liberate her people. Once you find her, make it clear that you will do her bidding, and that it was I who sent you.” Lexa stopped to gauge their reactions.  
Maeve rolled her eyes and lightly punched Lexa’s shoulder, “You know we’d do anything for you, why call this ‘a large favour’?” Lexa didn’t even react to the clear breach of physical protocol in Maeve’s behaviour, but her eyes darkened for a moment when she replied.  
“Because I’m asking you to do something that I cannot right now because I am the Commander. Since you three aren’t strictly under my command, and I’d never want you to be, I can’t order you to do this, so it is by definition a personal request. And also, because the decision to send you after Clarke is one I’m making with my heart and not my head… I am… weak.” Lexa finished quietly.  
Levi stepped forward and grasped both of Heda’s shoulders lightly in his gauntleted hands, reaching up slightly to account for their height difference. “It’s cruel, that your calling as Heda in this life is one that curtails what should be your proudest feature: your love for others. Look at me. Love is not a weakness, Costia, my sister, was not a weakness and you know it. Her spirit follows you and will sing you to your rest when the time comes, but she would never have you cripple yourself by not allowing your heart to seek another.” Lexa’s eyes turned downward to meet Levi’s. And in those eyes Levi, Maeve, and Bianca all saw what they had all feared gone for the rest of Lexa’s life.  
“Lexa,” Bianca intoned, “This Clarke you speak of, what does she mean to you?” Bianca asked gently.  
Lexa searched for a word to describe it in practicality, but also a word that fully described the depth of her feelings. She must’ve looked her age there for a moment, so incredibly girl-like, almost silly, enough so that Bianca bopped her on the head affectionately and then kissed Lexa on the crown of her head, the flecks of blood there not bothering her at all.  
Levi and Maeve both shared a grin, as Maeve spoke up in her nearly foreign sounding lilt, “ It’s alright Lexa, we think we understand,” she stopped there on account of her giggling overtaking her speech. Lexa rolled her eyes, and took out her dagger, detaching its sheath as well. Weighing it in her hand for a few moments, she then pressed it into Bianca’s hands with a hesitant look at Levi. Levi just nodded, understanding the gravity of the moment and that even now, Lexa was thinking of how it would affect him, always putting her people first.  
“Lexa, you need not feel hesitation in showing your love because of how you might think I’d react.” He nodded toward the knife, “My sister would approve of whomever you feel worthy.” Lexa nodded shortly, landmine avoided, and stepped back to look at the three of them.  
“Well, I leave this night to you. Give Clarke the knife so that she understands in some small way that my heart is with her now.” Bianca nodded as Maeve and Levi both turned on their heels and sped back into the trees, heading back towards the mines. Bianca however, lingered a bit, pulling the shorter Commander into a swift but feeling embrace.  
“You’ve grown so much. Costia would be so proud, not to mention Anya and our grandmother,” Lexa’s eyes watered briefly, but upon being released from the embrace, her eyes were dry.  
"Bianca?" Lexa whispered, though her voice was determined, the Commander bared her deepest fear, "She needs to know I don't... I could never hate her... " Lexa trailed off as Bianca looked at the Commander and lightly cupped her chin so that Lexa's eyes met hers. They stayed like that for a long time, she didn't need to say anything, Lexa understood. Bianca turned to follow Levi and Maeve and as she left, unknowing to her, Lexa whispered after her, “Be safe, sweet sister, and bring her home.” And with that, she resumed her place at the head of the army as they all marched back to the remains of Tondc.


	3. Clarke's Soldiers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Hi, this chapter is a little shorter than I'd have liked, but unfortunately, my course work's been killing me this week. I hope you guys enjoyed last night's episode as much as I did! Thank you all for reading and subscribing and such, it makes my day.

Part III: Clarke's Soldiers

"This will begin to make things right between you and the Commander," Bianca spoke softly as Clarke was still grappling with the implications of receiving Lexa's, and Costia's knife. Clarke was trembling slightly, but secured the blade at her right hip. Clarke's eyes had softened a bit, but there was still wetness to them.

Clarke looked up at Bianca and said, "Thanks, Bianca…" She paused, considering what she could possibly say to qualify this profound gesture of faith on Lexa's part, but upon picturing Lexa in her mind, another one of their talks came to the fore. "We can deal with my feelings later, but this…this doesn't fix things between your Commander and me. I'll talk to her, but not until I can picture her face and not feel this, this rage" Clarke said clearly with more poise than Bianca thought her capable of at the moment.

After spending a couple minutes knocking on the door, Octavia said, "Why is the knife so important? And why are you crying right now Clarke?" in a clipped tone to the four people in front of her, not exactly caring where the answer came from.

"The knife is a symbol of fealty and trust. It once belonged to someone special to Heda. It is an exceptional honour that Heda has deemed Clarke worthy of such a pledge." Bianca spoke up, Octavia noting that Clarke refrained from answering the second part of the question.

Octavia wasted no time to think of the obvious response, "Why?"

The three grounders exchanged a knowing look, while Clarke swiftly if belatedly, dabbed the tears out of her eyes and rested her right hand confident once more on her new blade's hilt; none present could miss Clarke's seemingly surreptitious fingering of the name etched into said knife hilt.

Clarke took a moment to basically glare at all of them before saying, "We need to gain access to the interior so we can save our people." She said, making eye contact with a grudgingly approving Octavia. As if on cue, the door behind them beeped and swung open, revealing Bellamy, Monty, Jasper, and a girl in a full-body breathing suit Clarke assumed was Maya.

Octavia tackled Bellamy with a high velocity hug, to the amusement of the grounder trinity. Bellamy and Clarke also hugged, though not as tenderly. Once Bellamy and the other newcomers had gained their bearings, Bellamy opened with, "The grounder army inside the walls is gone, what about yours?"

With a look of resignation and annoyance belying a far deeper hurt, Clarke replied, "Who needs an army when I've got Lexa's personal death squad?" Her voice wasn't totally sarcastic, but Bellamy wasn't totally disheartened about their allies.

"Who are you?" Monty asked quietly.

Bianca replied smartly with, "The Skai Heda spoke true, we are indeed the Commander's 'death squad' as you put it. But right now, we are Clarke's soldiers." Bellamy and his crew looked surprised, but with a short confirmation nod from Clarke herself, he seemed to take it in stride, "We need to get Maya to safety and liberate the other 48."

Maeve spoke up, "The other 48 being the rest of you Skaikru?" Monty nodded.

"I'm Monty, and this is Jasper, Maya, and Bellamy," Monty elaborated; realising there hadn't been proper introductions. Maya nodded, taking in the new people, while Levi looked between them, sizing them up. Maya began coughing, as Jasper urgently checked her O2 stats.

"We need to get her to level 5 now," said Jasper as he quickly grabbed her and they both sprinted off towards the entrance to level 5, not waiting for anyone else. After all, Maya's air was about to run out.

Clarke looked after Jasper and Maya, and then looked back at her kru, including Lexa's Trio in her tactical approach. She looked at Octavia, and though things between them were definitely not in a good place, when Clarke nodded after the star-crossed lovers, Octavia caught her drift and was relieved. Though she didn't nurse any feelings for Jasper as he had previously for her, he was still her closest friend in the room. Bellamy, noticing the nodding exchange, and wisely not questioning Clarke's leadership, hugged his sister tenderly, but then let go with a twinkle in his eye; no words needed to be said, and Octavia held the same twinkle in hers briefly before it was swallowed in the shadows as she backed away from them and turned after Maya and Jasper.

Clarke looked over her three new soldiers, and noticed that the tall one, Bianca was giving her the eye. Not the 'I want you' eyes, but in a different way just as intense and curious. The other two were checking the various assortment of weapons on their person, some of which Clarke had zero frame of reference for. Bianca's noticing Clarke's noticing Bianca didn't deter her in the slightest, though now Bianca's mahogany eyes met Clarke's blue flecked diamonds. Before things became overly awkward, Maeve bumped Bianca, who broke contact. Maeve proceeded to give Bianca an eye roll before whispering something to her in Tridasleng.

"Maeve want's to accompany Octavia, Maya, and the boys?" Clarke surmised.

"You understand our tongue?" Levi queried, to the shake of Clarke's head.

"I understand it's the best tactical decision right now, and I'd like you to join her. Bianca will be with Bellamy, Monty, and myself so that there are three fighters to a party. C'mon, we don't have anymore time to waste." At her words Maeve and Levi departed after Octavia while Bellamy began to lead Monty, Bianca, and Clarke towards the quarantine ward.

Several levels bellow, another of the 48 screamed her last, even as several new figures with hoods over their heads were brought into the room. The hoods were removed roughly at once, with the final figure on the right being a young woman who's identity was masked in the copious amount of blood caking her face along with light brown hair caked to her face by the blood, though when she raised her head, her angry clear eyes blazed emerald.


	4. Taking Command

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Who is that green eyed young woman anyway?

Part IV: Taking Command   
The Young Woman  
Blood was dripping from several corpses in the corner of the room that had yet to get dumped in the rubbish chute Three girls; one of their faces was turned fully ninety degrees to the left, making her visible to everyone else in the death chamber. Her mouth was wide open in a silenced plea for mercy. The girl with green eyes took everything around her into account as a darker skinned girl was put on the table. A man, tied to the wall was yelling her name, “Raven!” Raven suddenly went completely limp, when the man in the white coat with the drill tried to get her pulse; she ripped his throat out with her teeth… damn. Impressive, the previously hooded girl thought as she was brought over towards the wall and chained with wrists above her head. Of course the momentary shock of losing a torturer in a coat was only that, momentary; and it wasn’t more than a few minutes before they started eliciting Raven’s screams. The girl now in chains wasn’t totally convinced the Maunon’s purpose wasn’t to simply kill through causing agony. How the hell was she ambushed?? Bloody Lexa askin’ favours, that’s how. Whatever, it would be a while before she returned to the Far East, and if she didn’t figure a way out of this hell; none of it would matter anyway. No. It wasn’t Lexa’s fault, she was only doing what a commander of her calibre would do; ask for help. The young woman head-butted the man who tried to shackle her to the wall, but for breaking his nose, she received a swift strike to the stomach with their sparkly wand. She wasn’t ready for that. She blacked out for a few minutes but when she came to, she noticed a subtle but clear scent among all the blood.   
The young woman who was now shackled alongside Abby Griffin and Marcus Kane suddenly tilted her head sniffing the air, much to Kane’s confusion. She was here. How? Oh, because Commander Lexa would’ve sent her, but why? What skin did Lexa have in this conflict now? Her thoughts were disturbed when one of the children in the back shouted something beautifully vulgar at the guard, and received a blow to the head to quell her insurrection.  
Octavia  
Who the fuck were these people? They moved with a grace that not even the best of Heda’s warriors possessed. These were Heda’s best warriors. Octavia was leading the way, and the not being able to hear the two soldiers behind her left her feeling more than a little unnerved. Maya and Jasper however both were breathing quickly and loudly, clearly out of fear and desperation. “How much further?” Octavia asked over her shoulder.   
“Not much farther. The duct should be ahead 70 metres or so then left, it’ll be on the wall there.” Maya replied through laboured breathing. While Octavia was looking back at the four of her followers, she noticed Lexa’s soldiers exchange a tense glance and whisper back and forth quietly in a language Octavia didn’t recognize. She quickly beckoned Jasper and Maya past her so that she could better talk with these strangers.   
“Who the hell are you two and why are you helping us?” Octavia asked angrily. Jasper and Maya had moved ahead several paces so they would not hear this conversation.   
“Lexa sent us her to do Clarke’s bidding. My name is Maeve, and this is Levi.” the red haired female replied. Octavia looked them up and down, “Why are you dressed like Trikru? I’m sure Chief Indra had something to say about an outlander taking up our ways.” Maeve continued.   
“Until about 30 minutes ago, I was Indra’s second,” her voice broke on the last bit; surprising her how hollow that sentence made her feel. Maeve and Levi didn’t reply immediately; Maya was beginning to have trouble walking, so Maeve spoke a quick word in that same strange language to Levi, and he strode up to Maya’s right side and supported her there at Maya’s quick nod. Maeve however looked at the couple and Levi curiously. “I know you said twice now that you’re here to serve Clarke, but why did Lexa send you three? Isn’t that a violation of her precious deal with the Maunon?” Octavia practically spat. Her attitude was smothered with a quick and telling glare from Maeve.   
They walked for a few more paces; passing drawings on the walls clearly made by children, “Do not. Speak ill of our Commander. Her deal saved the lives of all of her people; where fighting would’ve guaranteed their deaths by the Maunon’s machine guns.” Octavia’s eyes widened a bit with this new piece of information, but at her silence, Maeve continued, “Indra must’ve seen uncommon strength in you to take you on as her second. One of the most skilled, if hot-tempered warriors the Trikru has produced in decades. She’s only had one other second before, but she… died.” she finished sadly. Maeve didn’t mean to draw out that last part, as it obviously had piqued Octavia’s interest. But she stumbled over the absolute tragedy of the situation and condensing it to a simple word wasn’t easy. Octavia was looking at Maeve, who clearly was close to this other second and she realised that perhaps Indra’s cold heartedness was the result of the immeasurable agony of losing her previous student.   
“So Indra was kind, once upon a time?” Octavia ventures.   
“Oh, no. She was always incredibly brutal,” Maeve stated matter-of-factly.   
“Yeah, she’s never going to forgive you for vomiting on her favourite boots,” Levi quipped back at them. Octavia’s giggle couldn’t be contained as she just imagined Indra’s expression at such an atrocious breach of decorum. Maeve looked over at Indra’s new second and smiled; Indra chose well.   
Octavia sobered up when they arrived at the garbage chute, Maya and Jasper went down first, followed by Octavia. Maeve and Levi followed, but not before Octavia had time to doubt whether or not they were following. “What now?” Maya asked.   
Jasper responded with, “We need to get you to safety, but if the guards see you, you’ll be shot.”   
Maya rolled her eyes, “Of course they will, Cage knows I’m a traitor.”  
“Then I’ll kill Cage.” Jasper speaks up with the voice of a leader, a voice foreign to Octavia, but not unwelcome. Maeve looked around at them, and at Maya in particular, such a brave young woman; but she was a slave to her inferior genetics.   
“We need to get Maya somewhere safe from the radiation. If things go badly on Clarke’s end.” Maeve said after a terse exchange with Levi, who was also frowning. None of them needed to extra clarification on that front.   
Octavia nodded. Looking between her she made a decision. “Maeve, you’re coming with myself and Maya. Levi, make sure Jasper doesn’t get himself killed, or worse, harvested.”   
“You have my word, Octavia.” Levi said delicately as Jasper hugged both Octavia and Maya. Maya however, reached out and pulled Jasper back for a long but heartfelt kiss. Octavia and Levi both averted their eyes; Maeve did no such thing.   
Once Jasper and Levi had gone off to assassinate Cage, Maeve and Octavia both turned to Maya, “So, is there somewhere safe for you if Clarke is forced into an unwinnable scenario and irradiates the mountain?” Octavia askes gently.  
Maya looked horrified at the possibility, but nods; there’s an airlock past the cafeteria. But there’s no way to prolong my life forever…” She looks up at Octavia with tears beginning to quickly coat her cheeks. “I’m just as guilty as everyone else in this mountain. I have grounder blood in my veins same as Cage and Dante.” Octavia reaches up to brush Maya’s tears away.   
“You’re someone Jasper cares deeply about; so you’re our people. And besides, without you, Bellamy would’ve been dead days ago. So we will save you okay?” Maya found herself brought into a surprisingly warm Octavia hug.   
They were interrupted when Maeve tapped twice quickly on Octavia’s shoulder; a couple of mountain teenagers had entered the room in the heat of their hook-up hadn’t noticed them yet. Though the sight of Maya accompanied by two attractive but lethal-looking savages definitely caught their attention as they ran screaming for the guard.   
Both Maeve and Octavia looked at each other; Octavia with anticipation and a hint of fear, and Maeve with a calm and reassuring smile. As several pairs of running boots could be heard in the distance, Octavia and Maeve spun around the corner and drew their blades at a sprint as Maya’s lip trembled at the violence about to unfold.   
Octavia struck first, throwing her blade at the first guard, hitting her mark; killing him instantly. They Maunon were armed with electric batons, Octavia recognized them as similar make to the ones carried by the Skaikru. Octavia rushed the second guard, surprising him with a leg-breaking foot tackle. Rising, in one motion she wretched her sword from the first guard’s rib cave and cut another’s throat, nearly decapitating him with her deep cut; his blood splattered the wall and the face of his comrade behind him. Maeve used still-kneeling corpse of the first guard and attacked the third with a systematic dissembling of his defences, starting with his elbows and knees; bending one of each backward so far as to draw blood from protruding bone. Before he could so much as scream, her boot crushed his shriek of pain still in his throat. The final guard looked horrified at his dead comrades, but he raised his baton all the same. Little difference it made, when Octavia kicked him against the wall and Maeve took his head clean off before he could recover.   
Octavia stood for a moment processing the result of her training with Indra. “Is there a way other than the cafeteria to your salvation?” Maeve questioned Maya as crept up behind them with her hand over her mouth, but before she could say anything a squad of guards turned the corner from the opposite side of the corridor from that which they came. These guards did have guns.   
Clarke  
“Deliverance comes at a cost, I bear it so they don’t have to.” Dante spoke as he looked into the younger leader’s knowing eyes. Clarke looked back at Dante with only a cold hatred, though she nodded shortly, understanding exactly what he meant. Bianca walked behind them, making sure Dante was good on his word and no guards attempted an attack from behind.   
Bellamy looked at Dante for a moment before making the connection that Clarke though was already obvious, “It was your idea to make the deal with Lexa.” Dante just nodded as Monty secured access to the command centre. It took a couple minutes for Monty to get the system control online, and when he did, all of their eyes were greeted with death; Dante gasped as almost a dozen of his guards’ corpses decorated the corridor leading to the cafeteria. Many bullet casings littered the floor as well as severed limbs and a small pond of blood.  
“Is that Raven?!” Bellamy gasped as he turned all their attention to the second monitor where their friend’s shriek though inaudible still filled their ears. Clarke grabbed a radio that was lying on the desk and presented it to Dante.   
“Tell them to stop the drilling,” Dante’s eyes filled with sorrow and determination as his inevitable reply came: “I can’t do that Clarke.”   
After noticing her mother chained to the wall, Clarke looked back at their friend dying before speaking into the radio. “Carl Emerson Mount Weather Security chief, come in.” Basically ignoring Emerson’s cheeky reply, Clarke intoned again, “give the radio to the President” Emerson looked up at them from a third monitor as he navigated his way through the small herd of children playing football with the black and white chequered relic.   
Bianca looked again at the second monitor, observing the horror of the Maunon’s ways when a familiar face caught her eye. She gasped and suddenly looked worried, which Clarke wasn’t counting on. Bianca looked at the others in the room in shock before looking back at the woman shackled between Kane and Abby. “Lexa…?” Bianca began, drawing Clarke’s sharp eye. But Bianca was too busy looking at the face she clearly recognized among the Skaikru. Clarke, Bellamy, and Monty’s reaction to what Bianca said next was blank looks all around, “Why has Luna been brought here?”


	5. Twin Dilemmas

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Clarke crosses the Rubicon while Lexa ponders.

Part V: Twin Dilemmas  
Bianca  
The room was lit with dim light, and Raven’s screams though unheard, were clearly painful for her three Skaikru companions. Clarke was still looking at Bianca, not having properly given her attention to the monitor when she said, “Who? No. It doesn’t matter why she’s here,” Clarke said, looking at the horrified expression of Lexa’s warrior. “What matters is the President will get them to stop” Dante’s eyes found hers and she saw hopelessness in his. Bianca could see Clarke’s feelings play out on her face and in her posture, No. Cage would see reason. He had to. But then Clarke really directed her full attention towards the monitor and really saw the face Bianca was distressed about. Neither Bellamy or Monty was looking at the monitor, both occupied with Clarke’s face until her expression became anger, then shock, and finally horror. “Lexa...What is Lexa doing here!? And my mom too?” Her voice died off in a whimper. Bellamy and Monty both looked at the monitor worriedly, but before he or Monty could offer any words of comfort, President Cage came on the line.   
“This is President Wallace,” his voice was level, but harsh, masking a very real fear beginning to overwhelm him.  
“I have your father. If you don’t let my people go, I’ll kill him.” Clarke replied, not quite crisply, with room for doubt. At this Bellamy and Monty exchanged a fearful look. Bianca however shifted her gaze from her sister in the drilling room to the new and powerful leader’s voice coming out of the blue-eyed blonde leader clutching the radio, looking not at Cage, but at the smaller monitor which held Luna and Clarke’s mother. Bianca’s eyes widened slightly, understanding what must be going on in Clarke’s head. She thought Lexa’s life was on the line. Lexa didn’t tell Clarke about her twin: Luna of the Flokru. Bianca saw Cage grapple with the radio for a moment as he came into frame of the monitor.   
“How do I know you’ve got him with you?” Cage said, rather desperately.   
Clarke swiftly walked over to Dante, and he spoke quickly but calmly, “Stay the course, Cage.” Clarke cut him off and returned to her spot about five paces from Dante and raised her gun at his chest.   
Bellamy nearly jumped away from the former President as he said, “Clarke, we need him.” His eyes were wide and afraid, so were Monty’s, Bianca took in as she looked around the room. For reasons Bianca wasn’t positive about, Clarke’s eyes sought out her own. The two women in the room held that gaze for a couple seconds before Bianca almost imperceptibly nodded.   
“I need his son to believe me.” Clarke said as she raised her gun. “Don’t make me do this.”   
Cage was clearly conflicted for a few moments before whispering something to Emerson who immediately took off. He then looked at the camera as said, “I’ll take care of our people.”   
Dante’s face fell as he met eyes with Clarke, “None of us has a choice here Clarke. It would mean the end of our people.” Clarke just looked at him, tears welling up.   
“I didn’t want to do this.” Still looking at Dante, she activated the radio so Cage could hear the next bit. For ten seconds there was a long silence as Dante just stared at Clarke, along with her three allies. She shattered the silence by firing a bullet into Dante’s right lung. He didn’t die clean; he staggered backward, wheezing loudly before slipping roughly to the ground convulsing as he drowned from internal haemorrhaging. Jus Drein Jus Daun, Bianca thought as she watched instead, Cages’ reaction to hearing his father expire. Clarke raised the radio again, “I didn’t want to do that. But if you don’t let my people go, I will irradiate level 5.” Cage snarled as he began walking though the blissful dinnertime bathed in light; Bianca looked at Clarke again, seeing that her tears had vanished, replaced with blue faya.   
Bianca returned her attention to Luna, who looked almost bored, and Bianca then noticed that her clothes were Skaikru. Clever girl. Fooling the guards that captured her. But what Bianca couldn’t work out is why Lexa had sent for Luna, because that’s what happened. There was no other reason that Luna would have been anywhere near this place. “Monty, I need you to enable me to do that,” Clarke continued in her clipped tone, jarring Bianca back the situation at hand. Monty nodded after hesitating a moment as he set about his work with Bellamy meanwhile putting his interlocked hands over his head and taking a deep breath, eyes darting back and forth between the three of them and Dante’s warm corpse.   
Cowardice, Bianca recognized the signs; and the weakness alone wasn’t problematic. It was the wild look in his eyes, lost, unreliable in combat. Bianca had seen it before, in so many faces. “How did Lexa get captured?” Bellamy asked the question clearly Clarke had been wanting to but too focused to indulge her distracting fears. Bellamy’s practically spitting her beloved sister’s name earned him a look that quelled his aggression.   
Bianca looked at Clarke’s anxious face, not Bellamy’s when she lied, “I do not know why Lexa is here.” She didn’t need to sell them on it, their eyes were proof enough for them, and they had seen her initial expression of dismay, a feeling that was still very much real. After all, Luna was still her sister. Clarke’s eyes didn’t waver from Luna’s face, which was marred in crimson gashes and bulging bruises. She thinks it’s Lexa. Bianca hadn’t seen anyone look at Lexa like Clarke was just then, for intents and purposes, since Costia was in their lives.   
Lexa  
“Do you know why I had Indra bring you to me? A man who would disobey me for...Octavia? For weakness?” Lexa asked the man on his knees. His face was twisted in anger and hurt. He shook his head.   
“Look at me.” Lexa almost spat, the man complied, and quickly too. “You’re going to do something for me. You might even enjoy it. You’re going to kill any Maunon stragglers. I have sent Clarke and Octavia a few of my most trusted, they have standing orders from when the coalition began, though there is the possibility that they may miss a few. So if any Mountain Men wander out of that accursed place, you have my permission to end them. Do not enter the mountain. Octavia is well looked after.”   
Lincoln nodded though even more confused as he was given permission to stand. “What about Clarke?” He asked slowly.   
Lexa’s expression tightened only slightly for a moment before saying, “She is also being looked after. Go, and see it done.” Lincoln turned on the spot and began sprinting back into the night. “Indra!” Her general was at her side in an instant, almost a shadow in the night.  
“What is your bidding my Heda?” she asked with a bowed head.   
Lexa’s eyes softened slightly as she addressed her favourite general, “I want to know from which clans our newly liberated people are from, most importantly, if they are Azgeda. Do it quietly, and peacefully,” she emphasized her last word, even though it was more for her own benefit than Indra’s.   
Indra nodded, but before leaving she said, “My scouts have yet no word from Luna. She was supposed to send a runner when she made contact with Skaikru, which would have been an hour ago. Should we be worried?”   
“Send out two more, take no chances.” Indra nodded and left her leader’s side as she set about her work. She tilted her head pointedly and her guards instantly cleared the tent. Her mask didn’t come off, but she let out a breath, her eyes wandering towards the board in the centre of the tent upon which she and Clarke had planned tonight’s rescue mission.   
Clarke… No. She could not afford to think of those wounded blue eyes right now. Not their kiss, her bloodied hand after killing her child killing beloved. Not yet. Clarke’s understanding would come later. She was a leader who would have made the same choice. Clarke had to understand that she acted in the best interest of her people, that 47 lives were never going to be worth hundreds. What about Clarke’s life? Lexa batted away that question, silently acknowledging it took her less than five minutes to terminate the deal she made with the Maunon for Clarke’s safety, potentially endangering her people.   
That was unlikely though. Bianca, Levi, and Maeve would assure Clarke’s survival at all costs. Though Clarke would probably never forgive Lexa if she knew the true purpose for which those three were there: to assure the end of the mountain, now their people were at their most vulnerable. Killing children and the elderly was just not something Clarke was prepared to do even if she miraculously had the chance. Lexa felt it in her voice earlier when she listened to Clarke lay out their rescue plan; so much heart-thinking. Rescue mission, not massacre. There was nothing that would push Clarke to dirty her hands the way Lexa would, and there was something she found beautiful about that, but also something profoundly ugly.


	6. Two Minutes to Midnight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Octavia, Maeve, and Maya head for the airlock while Luna low-key chats with Skaikru's chancellors.

**Part VI: Two Minutes Until Midnight**

_Octavia_

            It turns out it didn’t matter if there was another way to the airlock, because the three of them barely managed to find cover around the corner before the guards open fired. Well, they almost made it to cover, Maeve let out a harsh grunt as she shielded Octavia, who was pushing Maya ahead of her out of the line of fire. Maeve took stock of her injury, a bullet through her left upper chest, above the heart but non-lethal. It was just as painful. “We need to go now! I’ll lead, stay on me,” Maeve whispered quickly as they entered the cafeteria.

            For a brief moment, there was a pause, the idyllic setting of children at play around the tables; the laughing of family and friends came to a halt. 6 guards who had turned toward the intruders before knives found each of their chests. Only one of them got a shot off, but instead of hitting Maeve, Octavia, or Maya, he felled a young man in his late teens that had made the mistake of standing there. Octavia couldn’t believe the dexterity of her companion’s movements as Maeve let loose no less than six knives from various locations on her body in under a few seconds, each projectile taking a life. Maeve pulled Maya to the front of their three-person convoy as they continued unmolested through the throng, though the guards from the hallway were not too far behind them.

            “Maeve, were you shot?” Octavia asked as Maya directed them further towards the airlock. Maeve nodded gruffly; her playful demeanour diminished somewhat. _Where was the red?_ Octavia wondered as she looked for Maeve’s wound. When she found herself seeing the torn fabric and flesh she was confused. “Maeve? Why is your blood black?” Maeve shrugged, which caused her breath to hitch as she winced in quiet agony.

“Not now Octavia.” She said as they trudged forward. “What would your Clarke sacrifice to save her people?” She asked the younger warrior.

            Octavia didn’t even hesitate, “Hundreds of lives.” Maeve took a fraction of a second to see the hurt in those eyes, knowing that Octavia must’ve been among those in TonDC when the missile struck. Lexa had told them that she sacrificed the village for the strategic advantage, even though _Heda’s_ eyes welled up when recollecting that event to the three of them. Maeve nodded as they turned the corner and found themselves at the air-locked chamber. It was larger than the one on the ark, almost a full sized room, Octavia noted as they quickly put Maya inside.

            “There aren’t any vents in here, so radiation won’t come in unless the door is breached. It’s also inaccessible from any other point so Cage won’t be able to get in here from the dorm.”

            “What is this usually used for?” Maeve wondered aloud.

            “Situations like this. It’s a panic room.” Maya paused for a moment, breathing heavily from all of their running. “How many were following us?”

Maeve thought for a moment before replying, “No more than four of them were in the hallway, though they had guns.” The distaste for those weapons was clear in her voice, picked up on by both of the younger women.

            “Can we take them?” Octavia askes as Maeve pulls her sword from her sheath as a way of answer. Nodding, Octavia continued, “It’ll take them a while to get through this door if we just-”

            Maeve was already through the door and heading back to stop their attackers. Octavia and Maya shared an awed glance before Octavia said, “I’ll try and be back as soon as I can. But you need to stay here right now until we know it’s safe. Okay? I’ll be back for you, and so will Jasper.” Octavia chanced a look around the corner as she saw men, women, and children all stampede toward the hallway shrieking ‘Outlander!’ as Maeve must’ve looked like the living incarnation of most of their nightmares. Her sword was out, and she was fiddling with something on her chest before touching her face. She repeated the motion several times before taking the guns from the corpses of the guards and laying them out side-by-side behind an overturned table propped against a pillar she was using for cover.

            The last of the civilians had fled the room, leading for a quick call of “Friendlies, hold fire!” from one of the guards, as they must’ve been mobbed by their fearful charges. The first of the guards poked around the corner and was greeted by a short hail of bullets; one of them clipping him as he cried out was pulled to safety by one of his comrades. Maeve let out a soft string of curses in her own language she spoke to the other two of Lexa’s soldiers. Before Octavia could join in the new standoff, Maya grasped her arm with a cold tight hand, “Thank you, Octavia, for helping one of _us._ For helping me. Do you really think Jasper will be able to kill Cage?”

            The young warrior looked up into Maya’s pleading eyes and spoke the truth, “I think he’d be able to if he got the chance, but even if he did. He’d have to kill the entire science department here, and if he did, all of you would die eventually from chronic radiation poisoning right?” Maya only nodded. “I don’t think Cage’s guards will let him get that close, even with Levi by his side, and even if they have a guard loyal to you helping him.” Maya nodded again at Octavia’s pained words. Maya quickly brought the smaller girl in for a hug, which Octavia was frankly not expecting, but welcomed it as she returned the hug to this tender young girl who was risking everything to do the right thing.

            With their heads still on each others shoulders, Maya whispered brokenly; “None of us is innocent, Octavia.”

_Luna_

“How the hell did they capture you, Commander?” Kane whispered under the cover of Raven’s screams.

            “Though I look it, I’m not _her,_ and they captured me because I was being careless. They shot my scout and must’ve used silenced weapons. I made the mistake of believing we were in the clear. I was heading to TonDC to speak with _her_ about something she wanted my counsel on, but a few of their shooters were in the vicinity and I got confused as one of your lot.” She explained almost carelessly. As a trail of new crimson blood dripped onto her lip, she considered for a few moments before adding, “You don’t know about _Nightbloods_ do you?” Her question on the end of that earned Kane some side-eyed smirking at his confounded expression.

            “Nightbloods? No, I haven’t. I take it you are _her_ sister?” Kane pressed to Luna’s almost reluctant nod. “Why are you dressed like us?”

Luna side-eyed Kane again as she said, “I stopped by your _Camp Jaha_ on the way from the dock and stole some clothes. Also I wanted to know how secure it was. It wasn’t.” At Kane’s terrified look she almost laughed, “I didn’t hurt anyone or take anything untoward, but _Heda_ wanted to know the weaknesses of your stronghold. I’m sure you can understand.” Kane looked at her a little annoyed, but nodded all the same.

            “It wasn’t your right to do that. You should’ve consulted with one of us first.” The woman on her left spoke in a hushed yell.

            “Tell you? Are the pair of you the authorities over your _Kru_?” Luna asked, pointedly. Abby nodded. “As the leaders of a currently non-allied tribe, I’m sure you can appreciate the position was in.” at their expressions of shock she backtracked, “Well, non-allied at the time she sent for me and issued me orders, it seems things have changed since last month.” Luna tested her restraints again; the distinct scent of _Maeve_ was closer. _It had been too long since she had been with her; well, it had been well over two months._ “Well, we won’t be here for much longer. My sister has made some arrangements that will change things for these _Mountain Men_.” The hatred in her voice laced with hope was immediately detectable to both Kane and Abby, who looked at her quizzically.

            Before any of them could say any more, an excruciatingly pale man burst into the room in frenzy. “Take her off the table.” The driller protested, but was quickly overruled.

“ _Keep your head down.”_ Kane mouthed to Luna, who immediately understood his meaning and dropped her head, encouraging more blood to obscure her striking and familiar features. The pale man looked into the black eye in the top corner of the room before looking to Abby, he motioned to his men and they put her on the table.

Luna wasn’t interested in Kane’s frantic yelling, but curious about whom was on the other end of that eye behind the glass lens. Her eyes swiftly turned to the young man who gave the orders, and saw his fear, making her even more excited and curious. When she saw the cruel man turn away, she made a point of looking right into the camera and giving one strong nod before Abby’s screams filled the room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Clarke and Lexa will be back together soon, I promise. I know I'm drawing this Mt. Weather stuff out, but that's just where my mind is right now. Thank you all,for reading, and an extra thanks to those of you who've left comments and subscribed. You're awesome, the lot of you.


	7. Blood on the Floor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things escalate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was less than half the length I was planning on, but this week's been awful for me. You lot deserve better. I'll try to have another chapter up by Saturday. Cheers!

**Part VII: Blood on the Floor**

_Bianca_

All of them saw Luna's (Lexa's, as far as Clarke was aware) pained look into the camera, and her nod, clearly meant for Clarke. The Trikru woman had her eyes flitting between Clarke and the drilling room on the monitor. “Emerson’s here,” Bellamy said with some apprehension. They could see him on the hallway monitor’s camera. The Mount Weather security chief was unpacking explosives. Bellamy aimed his gun at the door.

“Why have you stopped?!” Clarke hissed at him.

Monty replied in a quiet voice, “It’s done. All you have to do is pull that lever. The fans will reverse, pulling the outside air in.” He finished softly though to his credit his voice remained steady. Bianca was looking keenly at Clarke, whose face had taken on a ghostly complexion. On the monitor, they could see Octavia and Maeve making a fight of it in the cafeteria, though they could also see the mountain guard reinforcements arriving in the hallway just as their two allies had clearly run out of ammunition. At least Maya was safe behind the air-lock for now.

“Look!” Bellamy pointed out that their ally guard had escorted Levi and Jasper into the drilling room. Though to Clarke’s dismay, Cage’s guards automatically positioned themselves between their president and the newcomers. Jasper screamed as he whipped out a knife and charged Cage. Levi failed to anticipate Jasper’s moment of madness and pull him back, he took a step forward but upon Jasper’s blood being sprayed in his face via gunfire, he backed up against the wall. A chorus of screams echoed around the drilling room as blood fountained from Jasper’s mouth when he hit the deck.

“Jasper?..Jasper? Get up, get up...” Monty croaked as Bellamy and Clarke looked on in horror.

“Was that your plan, Clarke?” Cage said as he looked up into the monitor. He repeated it a few times to make sure they got a good chance to read his lips. At least Bianca understood, she looked at her temporary commander and her blue green eyes blazed. Levi was swiftly taken aside and was walked to the far wall by the guard loyal to Maya.

Bianca had enough; she strode over to end it; to pull the lever; to fulfil her baby sister’s orders and topple the mountain. Her hand had barely touched the metal before her wrist was encased in a warm though ironclad grasp. Clarke wasn’t looking at her, her hand must’ve moved on instinct as those piercing eyes of hers were still focused on the monitor. Bianca gasped as she noticed she and Bellamy had acted identically, both of Clarke’s hands had stopped both of theirs from pulling the lever. Clarke’s grip was starting to tighten, though Bianca wasn’t too bothered, Bellamy’s face was clearly expressing physical pain. They stayed like that for some seconds, Monty sobbing on the floor, inconsolable at the loss of his closest friend; Bellamy and Bianca both reaching for the lever, Bianca with her left hand and Bellamy with his right. And Clarke with her hands stopping her former co-leader turned soldier and her new and oddly trusted ally from committing genocide.

On the monitor there was a flurry of motion as Luna used her uncommon strength to reach out with bot legs at once and knock down two of Cage’s guards. The two standing guards aimed their guns at her but were stopped by Cage as he looked at her face curiously with a hideous grin beginning to dominate his pale features.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also, since there was a major character death here, let me know what you think? Was it too casual?


	8. Wanheda and All Her Friends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A Wanheda is born.

Part VIII: Wanheda and All Her Friends

Luna

Suddenly everything was very loud. She felt blood in her ears, the screams and shouts of those around her, and the staccato thunder from those cowards' weapons reverberated in her bones. Levi had entered the room, she knew that much. What he was doing here was a question for later. At this rate, everyone was going to die horribly. Seeing her opportunity, she struck, using her strength to swiftly and silently raise her body into a lateral position from where her hands were bound.

The heel of her left heel struck the first killer where the jaw connects to the throat, causing a satisfying snap as the guard's neck failed to cope with the abrupt 90 degree turn. At the same time, her right heel struck the guard directly in front of her crushing his throat straight on. Three people including the hapless boy dead in the time it took to lace her boots. Before the remaining guards could punish her for this treason, the pale man called Cage looked at her with a too-wide grin, pacing shortly back and forth, "Hello, Commander. I honestly expected some kind of double cross, but you? Here?" He laughed a little too loudly, but then calmed and motioned for his doctors to remove the deliriously mumbling Dr Griffin. "Put the Commander on the table." His doctors didn't hesitate as they (with great difficulty and no less than 3 strikes of the electric baton) slammed Luna onto the table. Luna let out a short uncontrollable gasp as her arms and legs were strapped in leaving her powerless to stop whatever was about to happen.

"Leave her alone, you feckless monsters!" was followed swiftly with a baton to Marcus Kane's chest which silenced him for the moment though he still stirred meekly, trying to get his breath back again. There was fear in Cage's eyes too. Luna could tell by the way he nervously kept glancing at the camera in the corner of the room.

Octavia

"The dorm…" she whispered as Maeve looked at her with pity. The both heard the gunfire clearly emanating from not too far down the hall. The gunfire focused on them was stalled for the moment while their superiorly armed foes reloaded.

"Maya will die when the air comes in. Eventually." Maeve stated with very little emotional inflection. "And yet there are a few who won't. How do we make that happen for Maya?"

"Clarke mentioned before that Bellamy said they were using bone marrow transplants. We need the bone marrow, and the airlock's system will be able to filter out radiation. We just need someone willing to perform the treatment for her." Octavia looked at the small space from which gunfire would begin again from any second. Unfortunately, it was the only way to the dorms.

Maeve seemed to understand as she laid down her borrowed rifle in Octavia's hand. "Cover me. I'm going to go on a marrow run." The Me from before taking lives would have tried to stop a clear suicide mission. Octavia thought as she curtly nodded as she lay down covering fire for Maeve as the assassin-like grounder sprinted towards the hallway both short blades drawn and whipped around the corner to the cacophony of gunfire and men screaming.

Clarke

"Both of you stop this nonsense," though noticeably shorter than both of the people Clarke was physically restraining, her tone brook no room for argument. Bianca and Bellamy both loosened their arms and only after making cold eye contact with the both of them did she release their hands. On the monitor they could see Maeve cutting her way towards the dorms. She wasn't going to make it–she was clearly injured, then she fell. Clarke gasped as Maeve avoided death by using three corpses as a shield as she lay on the ground halfway between the corridor's end at the drilling room and the cafeteria from whence she came. Clarke could see her expression was more furious than agonized.

On the cafeteria camera, Octavia had crept out from behind her cover and was cautiously making her way toward the encroaching gunfire. Maya was secure in the airlock for now, but Octavia was dead once she turned the corner.

Clarke's eyes returned to the main monitor. Lexa was on the table now… no. No. Cage looked up at the camera, at Clarke and his face minutes ago tightened in grief was now sporting a grin of determination. Clarke didn't need to hear him say it: he was going to kill the commander with the drill, and then put her mother back on the table and kill her too. Abby was propped roughly against the wall in a sitting position and Cage was clearly not done with her. She looked at her friends in peril before squaring her jaw and reaching out with her left hand.

"Clarke. Don't. Let me do it, so you don't have to carry that pain." Bianca spoke tenderly, almost sisterly.

"My sister, my responsibility," Bellamy spoke up as his eyes tracked Octavia's impending death and took a step toward Clarke.

"No. This, this is for me to do…for my people." Clarke looked at Lexa on the monitor who was now screaming as Cage needlessly drilled into her right shin. There were tears in Clarke's eyes now. "And for yours," Clarke's voice cracked on the last word as she glanced at Bianca whose breath hitched. The first of Clarke's tears began to fall as she alone, slowly pulled the lever all the way down.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this was out sooner than I thought it'd be, but it's also a little shorter than I planned. Whatever, I hope you enjoy!


	9. My Thoughts After 'Thirteen'

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Not a chapter, but something for me help my own grieving process.

No, this isn't another chapter just yet.

I just need to address episode: Season 3 Episode 7, "Thirteen". In the unlikely event that you've not seen it, there are SPOILERS, so if you've not up to date on the show, this is not for you until you've caught up.

It hurts. Right now I've not slept, and I have a pit of horror in my stomach after watching the episode, and it's still there 23 hours or so later and will be there for the foreseeable future. I've never grieved like this in my life, and that may make me a horrible person, but I am not the master of my feelings, not right now. And this episode changes everything about and how I feel about this show of ours.

I have a simple request for you all, in the aftermath of such a tragedy, do, not, let hatred win. Do not let your anger poison you, or anyone else. There has been a severe backlash on social media, particularly twitter regarding the follower drop for the show runner. (Or so I've heard cause I don't have twitter…). I understand that, I really do, but do not be hateful towards him and the writers, but educational. Especially if you feel hatred, as I do. Acknowledge it, confront it, but let it pass. I also understand season 4 is Rothenberg's priority, and his duty as the leader of the show. No, that's not forgiveness you hear in my voice, make no mistake. While I understand why he manipulated everyone who loved Lexa and those she stands for; neither he nor the other writers can escape the damage they have wrought, and I desperately fear there may be very real blood on their hands. Blood of the brave, who dared to hope for stardust, that Lexa might live, not merely survive, but come to do more. However, as he is the leader of the show, this profoundly breathtaking gesture of apathy and disrespect is, in my opinion, an unforgivable one.

Though we all have heard somewhere, blood must not have blood.

I'd like to take a moment however to say that the performances of everyone in her death scene and this episode over all were magnificent. I am honored to have been able to see such sublimity from Eliza and Alycia, Marie and Adina, and yes, Richard, Erica and Neil.

I enjoyed the show before Lexa showed up, but since I'm a new viewer, over the Autumn, I read an article (or several) that talked about how she was one of the best aspects of the show, and she's ultimately why I started season 1; because I knew somewhere down the line Lexa would be there.

A lot of us are without hope right now, or are still bleeding it all away. Lexa deserved better, yes. And so did everyone who invested in her, poured their souls into her. If Lexa could find the courage to love Clarke after what was done to Costia, I should be able to have hope again. Not yet, but someday, my hope will return to me.

I think this woman beautifully sums things up pretty well. A fitting eulogy for my/our hero: http://talknerdywithus.com/2016/03/04/commander-lexa-there-was-never-any-weakness-in-you/

Hope this means something to some of you, and I'll see you on the next proper update. Thank you all for having patience in my process of grieving.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please excuse me while I go watch Carmilla and Rose & Rosie on Youtube.


	10. Doppelgänger

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The immediate aftermath of Clarke's decision

**Part IX: Doppelgänger**

_Luna_

The room was filled with screams, she could make out Kane yelling and the teenagers on the back wall were upset at their fallen comrade, but the noise was coming from her. Her vision was blurry and red, for a long while couldn’t and didn’t care to discern anything about the world around her. “No!” The pain lessened significantly as the pale monster fled the room with a shout. Without his hand, the drill fell out of her leg and clattered messily to the floor. The guards around her were keening now, almost shrivelling up on the ground. Levi was at her side the instant the guards were no longer a threat.

“I am fine!” Luna groaned. “It is only my leg, see to the other wounded first,” at her words Levi nodded and checked for a pulse on the young man who was torn apart earlier.

“He’s dead. Yu gonplei ste odon.” Levi declared to the room quietly but clearly as he gently closed the poor boy’s terrified eyes. He fished the keys from the corpse of the guard that was helping them and gave the same blessing. From Luna’s vantage point she saw him retrieve the keys and then unlock Kane and once he was free he turned to Luna. “There were five others in our party, I’m going to go see what became of them.”

“Clarke?” Luna and Levi both turned to the bloody woman as she managed to shakily gain her footing, heavily leaning against a wall.

“Yes, Clarke is one of them,” Levi said slowly. He paused for a moment to look at the collected bone marrow from the victims of the Cage administration. “Are any of you Skaikru healers?” he addressed the large room as a whole.

“I am…why do you ask?” Luna turned toward the woman she had spoken to before they were both tortured with the _Maunon’s_ tools.

            Levi looked at her and the Commander’s twin carefully before bending over to whisper in her ear only loud enough for both of the women to hear, “According to what Lexa told us, this torture chamber’s purpose is to somehow use Skaikru’s bones to cure the _Maunon_ to the poison in the air outside.” He paused for a breath, but then continued once Kane came over to the three of them, “If Octavia and my other associate were successful, then there is a Mountain girl in need of a bone treatment. She was Jasper’s beloved, and you would all be screaming under their bone splintering instruments if she hadn’t followed her conscience. So if you can, please give her the treatments to save her life. For Jasper.” Luna’s eyes widened at the care her old was taking to plead this _Maunon_ child’s case… though she quickly realised her hatred for the one girl was a reaction to the fact her right leg was temporarily useless.

            Kane looked to Abby with pleading eyes, strange for a leader, and Abby met them for a few solid moments before nodding. “Levi, get me to Maeve. I smelled her earlier, and it would make sense that Lexa send her as well.” She paused for a moment before asking, “Bianca, she is here as well, no?” Levi nodded.

“She is with Clarke and a couple others.” Levi nodded as he helped the Commander’s twin to her feet and they along with Abbey made their way to the corridor.

_Clarke_

            All of them were dead. Her three conspirators walked beside her like ghosts, the four of them filling the width of the hallway as they stepped over hundreds of corpses, making their way to their way back to their people. Bianca stopped for a moment, causing Clarke to turn back towards her. Bianca looked at the sea of corpses surrounding them blankly, and then huffed and looked into Clarke’s eyes and broke her heart in one concise sentence, “Lexa has a twin sister called Luna. Luna is the one inside the mountain, in the drilling room, not the girl you know.”

            “Wha-?” What, no. Of course that was Lexa… “What do you mean?” Clarke said, her voice rasping slightly.

            Bianca stepped up to the shorter girl and put her hands lightly on her shoulders, “Lexa is probably in TonDC right now overseeing the re-integration of her captured people. She sent Maeve, Levi, and myself specifically because she couldn’t be here beside you. Because her Duty of Care is not to you right now, but her people. The girl who looks like Lexa is her identical twin, who is the leader of the Boat People. Her name is Luna and the pair of you have never met.” Clarke took a shaky breath after a few moments. Bellamy and Monty were both gazing at the assorted corpses most of whom clearly died alone. However, there were children and their parents were clinging to them even in death.

            “Let’s go get our people.” Clarke commanded, her tears from a few minutes before were gone; in their place was what Bianca could only describe as a storm. “Bellamy, go find Octavia and Maeve, and help them with Maya, I’m going to go to the others with Bianca and Monty,” she said, laying a comforting arm around Monty’s shoulder and wiped away his tears with her other hand.

After he gave her a short nod he said, “I, I should go to Maya, and tell her that…that Jasper’s d-dead.” Clarke considered him a moment, connecting eyes with Bellamy for a moment before he nodded. The two boys set off down the corridor, Bellamy calling out Octavia’s name.          Clarke looked at Bianca carefully, “You were smart,” she said calmly, “to not reveal Luna’s identity to me. I suppose I gave myself a way a little bit in pulling that lever, killing all of these… _children_ ,” she almost spat, tears returning to her eyes.

“Clarke. There’s something else you should know.” Clarke looked up at Bianca, eyes narrowed, bracing for more terrible revelations, but was shell-shocked when Bianca’s eyes also had tears in them, “Luna and Lexa. They are mine. They are my baby sisters. That’s why I was going to pull the leaver in your stead, for my family.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been a really rough time, and you all deserve a longer chapter, but I thought it was a good place to stop. They'll be more Octavia, Maya, and Maeve in the next chapter, haha. I don't know if I hit the emotional beats right, but I'm a beginning writer, so let me know how to improve cause I want you people to enjoy to the maximum. Stay Strong.


	11. Tableau

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things conclude in Mount Weather

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Salutations.
> 
> I'm sorry this is hilariously short after all this time, but I needed to get something out. It's not what you deserve, but it's what I can do right now. The last few months have been rotten for me in all aspects of my life. I intend to continue with this story, so there will be more to come; though I can't promise when. I've had a hard time even reading other fictions about the 100, much less writing. But I've come to realise I've been selfish, so I'm trying to do better by you all; even if it's months late.
> 
> If you've bored with this story, don't hesitate to read my other ones, especially Police Girls United, which sprang from a corner of my mind where the sun still shines, and hence why I am able to update it so frequently. I hope you stay with this story, but at the same time, I realise I've lost the right to ask such a thing from all of you. I hope you enjoy, as always, and your input is crucially encouraged.
> 
> -Azure

Part X: Tableau

Octavia

"Maeve?" Octavia called out as there was a sudden rise of keening from the hallway as the gunfire stopped. "Maeve, are you hit?"

"Not badly." The warrior stood among a pile of writhing guards as their flesh melted. After about a minute, it was over and everyone was dead. "I didn't expect them to end like this." Maeve whispered, horrified at the disintegrated flesh coiling off of the dead at her feet. Octavia too, turned her gaze downwards and only just managed to avoid retching. She sat down on the ground, several feet away from the nearest corpse. After taking a few moments to calm down, she regained her composure to the scene of Maeve standing over her with red dripping off her at most angles. Along with the red, there was a steady trickle of black, though it didn't seem to trouble the ginger much. "Octavia!" a soft voice carried over the silence that had amassed in the hallway of death: Maya.

With the threat of being riddled with bullets gone, she was free to run back to the terrified Mountain Girl. Before she got there, she saw Kane taking Jasper's body out of the torture room…oh, poor Maya. Levi was supporting Abigail towards her. The arm Abigail slung over Levi's shoulder held a drill. Levi's other hand held several vials that Octavia knew immediately contained the marrow of dead Sky People. "Where is Maya?" Levi asked softly. Octavia understood what he intended and figured that the torturous and largely fatal extraction of her people's bone marrow should be used for something; to save Maya.

Bianca and the boys turned the corner, all three of them looking emotionally crippled. Bellamy rushed to hug Octavia, but Monty and Bianca were still looking sombre.

Octavia asked the obvious question, "Where's Clarke?"

The dead look that Bianca gave wasn't an answer, so Octavia put Bellamy at arm's length and asked him the same question. He gave a dejected shrug and muttered, "She left." Octavia looked down at the wretched faces of the dead looking up at her and nodded silently.

As soon as Luna was freed from her bonds, she wandered out into the corridor, hoping to come across her people. There she saw Maeve, hurt, but standing. Well, leaning against a wall as some of the others made their way towards the other end of the hall, carrying with them vials a murky dark red substance.

"Luna!" the red-haired Maeve shouts as she stumbles over into Luna's arms. Their embrace among the dead was a beautiful tableau: all of the world's evil and all of its good in one frame.


	12. Necessary Cruelties / A Few Months Later

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After Lexa orders a massacre for the peace of her realm, she councils her newest addition to her inner circle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You all deserved better in the last chapter. This is the next chapter, where things take a turn away from canon in a way I hope you find intriguing.
> 
>  
> 
> EDIT: I also botched some stuff up and have to re-upload the chapter, so sorry about that. Though there is a bit more regarding Lexa's plan for the Nightbloods. Sorry about that.

**Part XI: Necessary Cruelty/ A Few Months Later**

_Lexa_

_It is done then._ Lexa sagged backwards into her throne as Bianca and Levi finished that day's mission report. A potential cataclysm avoided, another day. The five warriors stood in a line before their commander. Maeve flanked Bianca and Luna, while Levi and Octavia stood at the ends. The latter of the five was twitching. _Was it regret?_ "Octavia, do you have something to share?" Lexa asked calmly, prodding the younger girl into confessing.

Octavia heaved her shoulders back to stand up straight while addressing her Commander, though her voice was softer than usual, "Up on the Ark, he was… different. They all were," the young warrior started. Lexa nodded in understanding as Maeve put a hand of solidarity on Octavia's shoulder. "He was our teacher, when they told us we'd be going down to earth. 'Earth-Skills' they called it. He was a great teacher, of course _Clarke_ was the best out of us." Octavia was rambling, though Lexa wasn't annoyed or even surprised. Octavia rarely talked of her time in orbit. Rarer even that she mentioned Clarke in passing. "He was so devastated when they told him that he'd be teaching a hundred kids to survive on an unapologetic suicide mission." Octavia shrugged, almost violently as dark mirth crept into her expression. "I suppose at some point the lives of children meant shit to him."

Bianca surreptitiously looked down at her blade. Lexa caught that glance, Bianca was trying to gauge if that man's blood was still on her sword. There wasn't much, but it was still visible, and some of it speckled her boots too. She glanced briefly at her compatriots who were coated in a similar layer of gore. Bianca huffed slightly at the though of that acrid man's blood on her favourite boots before Levi gently nudged her to snap out of it.

Bianca nudged him back, and Lexa's mouth twitched at this interaction between her family. _Family, did I really just include Octavia in that summary?_ Lexa looked at Octavia, who since Mt. Weather's demise had willingly joined the ranks of Lexa's 'Death Crew' as the fiery teen had called them initially.

Indra hadn't been elated to realize Octavia wanted a change, but she perfectly understood the motivation of her Second to seek out a different position since their brief apprenticeship hadn't blossomed as well as both of them had hoped it would.

Lexa decided to use her softer commanding tone; it wasn't formal, but it wasn't quite friendly either. "You are not to blame for what they became, Octavia. Neither should you feel guilty for doing what was necessary to prevent much more bloodshed. If any one of them were left alive with a rifle, it would spell death for dozens of our people. You know this." Octavia looked up at her Commander and nodded.

The girl had clearly accepted her own actions as the only reasonable ones logically, just not emotionally. She would, eventually. "This is depressing," Luna spoke up calmly and truthfully in a voice that would've been identical to Lexa's if it wasn't for the hard layer of aloofness. Lexa, Levi, and Bianca rolled her eyes at the Commander's identical twin; Luna never had sense for tact. Lexa sighed as she rose from her chair to step down to Octavia's level.

"Thank you, Heda." Octavia said respectfully as she inclined her head. Lexa considered the young before her.

To Octavia's considerable surprise, the Commander firmly grasped both of her shoulders and stared pointedly into her eyes. "You did the right thing, which turned out to also be the necessary thing. It will probably always haunt you, this I know. But I also know that you will overcome your regret with time. All things pass Octavia, and you should know, your insight saved far more lives than were taken today." Lexa released the young Octavia, who was nonplussed her Commander was giving her such attention. But not just attention, it was the insight that baffled Octavia, even after having been around Lexa for a little while now, it was the cold understanding in those darkened emerald eyes.

"Thank you, Commander," Octavia said, her tone now almost reverent. Lexa gave her older sister Bianca a nod and returned to her throne.

The five warriors began to file out of the chamber, but not before Lexa called out, "Your little brother was very eager to see you upon learning of your return. Don't disappoint him, Maeve. And send Titus in as well." The flame-coloured hair woman turned as she still had a supportive hand on Octavia to give her Commander a cheeky little smirk to her remark, and a nod to her request.

Lexa waited until she was well and truly alone to let out her own smirk at the memory of the young Nightblood badgering her about his older sister during the training session earlier that day. Like brother like sister she supposed. It was probably in the hair.

There was a knock on the door. Lexa faced the door with her hand relaxed over the hilt of her thin blade. "Enter." No hostile intent, it was only Titus.

Sharp and to the point, Titus immediately spoke his business; "Isa Borden broke Cardin's leg today after he and Chris were trying to double-team Sylvie during the melee training. When Chris turned to round on Borden, Sylvie tried to take him from behind, but Aden restrained her as she already injured from her bout with Cardin. When Chris came at Borden, he was incensed and wild. Isa took an axe to his face, like a hard slap. He's since woken up, and the healers have since been looking after him. Though Cardin's condition is still in question."

Lexa raised her eyebrows at this. Titus continued, "After talking to Aden and Yuki, I've decided that Chris and Cardin intended Sylvie severe bodily harm, considerably worse than what Borden showed them. Yuki and Aden independently verified that the techniques those two boys were employing against Sylvie were strictly forbidden by you against any ally. Had Isa not intervened, Sylvie might very well have been crippled. They are all confined to their rooms at the moment, but I would like to defer the decision on what should be done with the trouble-makers to you." Titus finished bowing his head piously.

Lexa nodded, "I will go to them shortly then. Thank you for keeping me abreast of the situation Titus."

Titus hesitated for a moment before continuing, "I assume Bianca and her team have dealt with the rebel faction within the Skaikru?" Lexa just nodded an affirmative. She knew Titus wouldn't press for details. Sometimes she had to ask her sister and her friends to do monstrous things; and as hardened as Titus was, he couldn't stand the deaths of children, even if their continued survival threatened the peace down the line. How he was now advising his fourth Commander, Lexa didn't know; the Conclaves must've been awful for him especially.

_Perhaps it was time to change that particular ritual. After all, it would be better if there were a group of loyal Nightbloods to remain alive and serve the sitting commander. A commander they would know almost intimately from growing up together. Besides, it immediately resolves the issue of untimely death so soon after a new commander ascends. After all, having Maeve kept secret from Titus and the rest was working very much in her favour. Only the others on her team have seen her bleed, it was one of the reasons I recruited Octavia so vigorously once I knew she had learned of Maeve's black blooded peculiarity._

Even though Titus didn't press for details, Lexa gave him some anyway, "Octavia kom Skaikru abhors the death of children, even if she understands why it must be so. You and her are alike in that respect. She didn't participate in that part of my orders, though I don't begrudge her that, she's still a Second, albeit an uncommonly skilled Second." Lexa paused, briefly struggling to maintain her mask of indifference. Titus' look of sympathy said all he needed to.

Ordering the deaths of children was something she abhorred as much as her team loathed receiving those orders. Luna was different though, for some reason, she could do the cruel things that even the most heartless of Lexa's warriors balked at. She never relished it, but she wouldn't balk. _I never balk from those monstrous necessities either, but Luna just handles it far too well for somebody who is able to feel_ love _as keenly as she feels for Maeve._

Lexa was paused in pondering before asking her bi-daily question, "Have your hidden _leaves_ located Clarke kom Skaikru?" Titus shook his head. Lexa dismissed him with a nod. Much in the same manner she did with the others earlier.

However, when Titus got to the door he turned around and said with a mildly disgusted tone, "The people have begun referring to her as _Wanheda_." He shut the door on his way out, but not before beckoning in the guards.

Lexa's eyes were raised at Clarke's new honorific, but she quickly rolled them as he motioned for her guards to return. She waited 23 seconds before giving them both a pointed look; this was a routine by this point. The guards both bowed slightly and exited the room.

She walked over to the balcony to survey her city. The noises of the market are beginning to soften to a dull buzz as the day draws to a close. The salt in the air is pleasant in the Commander's mind as she turns her head into the firm breeze. As the twilight sun strikes the storm clouds over Mount Weather off at the edge of Lexa's sight, she can see them bleed crimson light in a moment of beauty that is gone in moments. For the thirty-fifth time that day, the Commander's thoughts return to Clarke.

 _Where could she be after all these months? Not even Kane and the rest of Arkadia have word of her. Could she be–_ Lexa's better nature perished the thought.

The sky had darkened and the cold would soon follow the dying of the light. It was time to question her young Nightbloods. Lexa set off in the direction of the Nightbloods' bedchambers as the last of the day's light vanished from sight.


	13. Sapphire and Amber, Meet  Jade

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lexa has words with two of her Nightbloods regarding the violence earlier that day.

**Part XII: Sapphire and Amber, Meet Jade**

It was later that night that Lincoln’s messenger arrived and told the Commander the fate of Cardin. Lexa nodded and dismissed her. The interaction took only seconds.

After Lexa bathes, she puts on her evening garb of simple tunic and leggings and walks to the Nightbloods’ bedchambers. Of course, there’s a knife at the small of her back. She’s no fool. The two girls she was looking for were in adjacent rooms as the Tower held more than enough rooms to accommodate a relatively small Nightblood crop this generation. Though Lexa knew that these two girls rarely slept alone. It wasn’t behaviour that Lexa found untoward as Sylvie and Isa were coming up on their fifteenth and sixteenth winters respectively.

Isa Borden and Sylvie are huddled together on Borden’s bed. _The girl with two names… I wonder why she chose those for herself. Perhaps she chose the names from one of the tomes in the Great Polis Library? She was always a unique girl; she had the darkest and most flawless skin I’ve ever seen, accompanied by hauntingly dark sapphire eyes. In this light, I can barley make out her face against the wall, only her teeth and eyes are totally visible. Her short stature helps mask her from my eyes. No wonder her stealth is unrivalled among even the more seasoned veterans. Due to her Nightblood status, and despite her diminutive stature, her original village and many others believe she shall become my successor one day. Perhaps they are right._ Lexa hung back for a few moments, hidden by the shadows, trying to catch the soft words Isa Borden was whispering to her closest friend. “Sylvie, please stop crying? What would _Heda_ say?” Lexa stiffened for a moment, but maintained her silence.

“To… to not show weakness.” Sylvie muttered dejectedly. Isa nodded and put her head against Sylvie’s forehead. “But you crippled him… I heard the guards wondering if Lincoln kom Trikru could fix him as they took him away.” Sylvie muttered sadly. _Oh Sylvie, if there was anybody perhaps too compassionate to become commander, it was probably her. She was the tallest female warrior in Polis, standing just taller than Lincoln, a fact she was quite proud of and didn’t hesitate to remind the boys of; and on occasion, most days, Isa_. _Though she had only recently grown so tall and was having some trouble acclimating to her new physique; as today has amply demonstrated._ Sylvie’s muscles were well defined and she was quite lithe, though Lexa always thought her skin was astoundingly pale. _Raven colour hair, high cheekbones that denoted large eyes of darkened amber helped her easily one of the more beautiful women I’ve ever encountered. She’s not even dissimilar in compassionate disposition to Clarke._ Lexa stopped that train of thought when those broken blue eyes swam into her vision once more. “ _Come back!”_ Lexa perished those thoughts of her own weakness and compassion for the missing _Skaikru_ leader before returning her attention to the conversation in front of her.

Isa Borden looked down at the one person she could not bear to see wounded and tilted down her chin so their eyes met, “He was going to cripple you. He already made you bleed, and Titus forbid us from going that far. That _branwada_ coward Cardin was going to hurt you beyond repair. I had to stop him. It’s that simple, I value your well-being over anybody who tries to hurt you, even if they are fellow _Natblida_.” Sylvie accepted her friend’s explanation and hugged her short protector closer to her.

Sylvie’s eyes widened in a tragic moment of resignation, “But what about the Conclave?” she whispered, horrified at the thought of fighting her friends to the death.

Lexa’s eyes were silently widened in curiosity to what Isa would say next. She didn’t have to wait long at all as Isa Borden declared in a fiery tone, “I won’t let any of them touch you. I will cut them all down.”

Sylvie’s reply was as broken as Lexa had ever seen the usually notably resilient girl, “I _can’t kill you._ There’s no way, if that’s what it means to become _Heda_ , then I refuse.”

Isa chuckled darkly, “There’s no way I could kill you either, and you know this.” Sylvie nodded as she buried her head in the younger girl’s shoulder. “I’ll finish off the rest of them, even that pretty boy Aden, though he’s also quite kind. He’ll be hard, since Lexa has always favoured him.” Her tone was for the first time a little sad, and more than a little bitter. Lexa slumped against the wall slightly, feeling something she hadn’t felt in a long while: shame.

Isa, not privy to Lexa’s presence, continued without pause, “And when us two are the last ones standing, I’ll cut myself, so that you will be _Heda._ ” There was no fear to her voice; this fifteen-year-old girl was going to throw herself upon her sword out of love for her friend. Lexa’s eyes sparked with the tell tale sting of tears.

Sylvie’s response however took both of the other women in the room by surprise, “Why can’t we both be _Heda?”_

Lexa decided this was as good a time as any to announce her presence. She quickly brushed her tears from her face, returning to her stoic, yet nurturing mask she wore for her students. The incredibly dim light would be enough to mask her slightly watery eyes. She stepped out and made a show of knocking on the door, “Good evening my young _Natblidas_.” The two younger girls stiffened and split apart.

Lexa almost chuckled despite herself. These were two of the older noviciates, they were around when the last Conclave happened, and were forced to watch, but they were certainly too young to participate. Like Aden, Lexa considered these two like siblings rather than surrogate children. “Yes, _Heda_?” Isa spoke up, her face was slightly flushed, though her eyes were hard, bracing.

            The Commander smiled, despite herself. Isa reminded her much of herself and Luna oddly enough when they were several years younger; ruthless to those who would harm their beloved. In a very calm voice Lexa asked, “Can you tell me what happened today?”

            Isa was about to speak when Sylvie cut in, “Cardin and Chris were hurting me so Isa stopped them. If there is any punishment if should be inflicted on me since I was too weak to protect myself.” Sylvie’s voice was far stronger than it was only moments ago. Her dark amber eyes were typically neutral, but not now. Lexa internally acknowledged Sylvie’s strength of spirit when the girl was defending what Lexa was now sure of: Isa Borden was Sylvie’s _beloved_ , and Isa clearly felt the same way about Sylvie. Isa sent Sylvie a quick look that said, _‘In no way are you to blame here.’_ It was a look that Sylvie did not receive.

Lexa held Sylvie’s gaze unwaveringly for an unnaturally long time. Isa was now almost glaring at Lexa, which surprisingly made Lexa feel…amused. “Sylvie has nothing to apologize for. I knew what I was doing, and I alone should bear the consequence.” Lexa didn’t let her amusement show, instead her face showed only a slight frown.

Isa shifted slightly, putting herself in front of Sylvie instinctually.

“Very well, Isa. Cardin will likely never walk again. And he will be in pain for the foreseeable future. What do you think your punishment should be?” Lexa asked bluntly. Sylvie moved to say something heated, but Isa cut her off with a look.

Or at least she tried to, “ _Heda_ please, she was only protecting me, she was the _only one_ who stood up for me. Your _favourite_ , _Aden,_ ” Lexa raised her eyebrows at Sylvie’s gall as the girl spat the red head’s name, “watched the whole thing, and when I tried to back up Isa, he prevented me. You’ve always taught us that we should protect our people, and _jus drein jus daun._ Isa was doing exactly that, Cardin tried to break my leg so that's what she did to him. She could’ve ruined Chris’ face, but she showed restraint. Punishing her for this goes against how you’ve taught us a Commander should act!” Sylvie was taking deep breaths now. And then her eyes widened in horror and her breathing stopped; she just yelled at her _Heda._ Even Isa was taken aback with awe at Sylvie’s defence of her. But that awe was immediately replaced by fear.

There was a long moment of silence, the flickering flame reflected off of each set of eyes. Isa Borden’s blue were framed against a backdrop absent of light; scared for her beloved with more than a hint of resignation to her fate. Sylvie’s darkened ambers were staring straight into her Commander’s; they were alight with passion and indignation, though fear was beginning to take over.

Lexa closed her eyes, and when she reopened them, her dark jade eyes showed only two emotions intertwined: pride and compassion.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Your feedback is much appreciated, the last round of comments made my week much brighter. Thank you!


	14. Declaration of Intent

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lexa's conversation with Isa and Sylvie continues amid a gathering storm.

**Part XIV: Declaration of Intent**

_Lexa_

            _Heda_ looked happy? No. Proud. Sylvie was locked in a stare with the commander, a contest she was losing until the Commander’s expression radically shifted from near anger to pride? Sylvie’s expression seemed to oscillate from: _Did I just save Isa? Or am I done for?_

The girls were even more shocked when the Commander let out a soft chuckle at their expressions.

Lexa sobered up after a few moments committing to memory the younger girls’ expressions. “I take it you’ve heard some rumours over the last month or so about a rebellious faction of _Skaikru_ who haven laying waste to villages in the northern reaches just shy of the Azgeda border?” Both of the younger Nightbloods were now engrossed. They both nodded silently, though Sylvie had a hard line flash anger briefly cloud her doe eyes. Isa’s gaze just hardened. Lexa considered for a moment before deciding on a Commanderly hypothetical to the already resolved situation. “Are you also aware of my team that I send out on particularly dangerous missions? Missions that I cannot in good conscience entrust to even some of the most skilled of my soldiers?”

The two girls exchanged a muted look of awe before Isa replied smoothly, “We have heard rumours.” She lowered her eyes slightly.

Sylvie noticed this, and continued for her friend, “We just figured Aden was making up stories again, like that one he told us about Gustus and the Pauna.” Lexa’s breath almost hitched at the mention of her formerly well-loved bodyguard, but it was too slight a reaction for the girls to pick it up amid the flickering shadows of the torch.

Lexa smirked, “Aden _would_ tell stories,” though her eyes narrowed, “though I’ll have to see that he stops telling them about my team.” Lexa knew that Maeve would never break her confidence, even to her sweet little brother, but Aden was too trusting. His stories may be made up, but it wasn’t the substance that mattered, it was the unwanted advertisement of the _existence_ of such a group. _Perhaps Aden’s gaffe could be used to make a good point about uncertainty and leadership._ Isa Borden and Sylvie both exchanged a serious glance as Lexa’s expression briefly lost its mirth.

“That’s the point.” Lexa said cryptically, much to the irritation of her company.

“What’s the point?” Isa asked cautiously.

“That there are rumours, but no direct evidence to support them. When your enemy has only rumours to grasp at, they cannot adequately prepare for your strike.” The girls both seemed to think this was a good strategy. “I’ll return to the topic of my ambiguously existent team, but first there’s something else I’d like to discuss with the two of you. Care to guess what it is?”

The wind outside was picking up, all three of them could sense the change in the air, the prelude to rain. Sylvie smiled despite herself while Isa rolled her sapphire eyes. Lexa’s eyebrow raised at the contrast between the two. Sure enough, a minute into their anticipatory silence, the ozone filled the air as Lexa muttered, “ _Skaikrasha_.” It was as if her word summoned the bolt that struck the tower, briefly illuminating the balcony and outside in a majestic flare of violet tinted light. Almost immediately following the lightning, the thunder’s call answered. Lexa tensed up and her hand immediately went instinctively to her blade resting at the small of her back. Borden and Sylvie instinctively reached for each other, pulling themselves into a impromptu hug. the building shook slightly at the proximity of the blast of sound, but then all was calm.

Lexa said softly, but in no way ambiguously, “Isa Borden _kom Azgeda_ , Sylvie _kom Sankru._ What are you to each other?” Their reaction was as predictable as Lexa found humorous: there was a good deal of stuttering and half-formed hand gestures, but it was a couple moments of floundering before Lexa raised her hand in a calming motion. “I’m not angry, I’m just interested, you seem to have become quite close with each other over the last couple years. Though the last few months since the _Maunon_ were vanquished has seemed to bring you even closer together. Am I correct in my observations?”

“You are, _Heda_ ,” Sylvie replied quietly.

Lexa nodded at this confirmation. “So I’ll ask you both again, this time, in more direct terms. What are you prepared to do to protect each other?” Lexa’s voice was firm, and Commanderly, but it was also tender; she had a habit of being honest with her Nightbloods and that honesty also pertained to emotional availability on her end. If they only knew her as the _Commander_ , as she presented herself to the world, they would not see _Lexa,_ as she wanted them to see her.

There was a good moment of silence between the three young women that was accompanied by the constant cascade of rainfall.

“I would murder the world.” Isa spoke quietly; her voice was slightly tinged with awe. It was as if she at once couldn’t believe she spoke those words aloud, and that she actually meant them. Sylvie only had to meet Isa’s look for Lexa to know that the taller, pale willowy girl felt the same.

With a sigh, Lexa steeled herself for the destination this conversation would imminently arrive at; _where all my paths seem to lead back to_ : Costia.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a little shorter, but I'm clearly not done with this conversation. The next chapter will pick up a couple seconds after this one ends. As always, thank you for reading!  
> Your feedback is greatly appreciated!


	15. Heart Over Head

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Flashback!

Part XV: Heart Over Head

With a sigh, Lexa steeled herself for the destination this conversation would imminently arrive at; where all my paths seem to lead back to: Costia _…and now it’s Clarke. After all this time, I’m in the same damn situation, not able to help the one person that I…_

            “I know how that feels,” Lexa spoke softly. Isa looked up in surprise, but then her and Sylvie’s expressions quickly became morose. “To want to murder the world for the sake of another.” _And what about Clarke? No. They cannot know the depths of my feelings for her, not…not yet. Bianca already knows, Even though I would do horrible, uncommanderly things to keep that insufferably stubborn Skaikru Heda safe…in my arms. NO. Not right now, focus._ Isa had Costia. Sylvia didn’t, but she saw the aftermath. They couldn’t know about _her_ , it just wasn’t safe yet for anybody, least of all the blonde Mountain Slayer.

            Isa and Sylvie were silent. They remembered Costia as well, for intents and purposes; the auburn haired beauty was the older sister to the Nightbloods, especially the older ones. “You two remember that day well, don’t you? The only day I scared you.” Isa looked up to meet Lexa’s eyes; Isa’s eyes for the first time that night looked her age.

_Seven Years Ago_

_Isa_

“Aden, give it back, you _branwada_ thief!” Aden was chuckling mischievously as he held an ancient azure scarf above his head; out of the reach of a very short girl with skin only a few shades lighter than darkness. Her equally azure eyes flashed in anger as her taller friend mocked her. The ginger boy’s locks were swaying around his shoulders as he did epic battle with the little girl.

“What are gonna do _Azgeda_? Costia can’t fight all your battles for you.” The young Isa drove her knee into Aden’s thigh, momentarily stunning him into lowering his arms into the precocious girl’s reach. Using a manoeuvre that Costia had taught her, Isa forced Aden to release her treasured scarf. She pushed him away with a huff before she ran back into the room she now shared with the new Nightblood that had been found among the _Sankru_ , at least while she adjusted to Polis. She’d only arrived a day and a half ago, time she spent mostly asleep. Aden was left clutching his thigh, but with a light-hearted smirk on his face all the same.

Isa sat down on her bed, clutching her scarf to her heart. It looked like the blue fabric had been repaired perhaps too many times before it came into her ownership. It was the only thing she had that reminded her of her compassionate village chieftain, Borden.

When the pale bald man who bore the green skullcap _tatu_ came for her, she didn’t want to leave. She begged Borden to let her stay, why did her odd blood mean she had to go so far south? A shy voice broke her out of her memory. “Hey, are you ok?” Isa’s eyes flew open as it occurred to her that she wasn’t alone. Isa had never spoken to the new girl before. She’d not even seen her awake. The new _Natblida_ was looking at her worriedly. She had been training away from Polis for reasons that weren’t clear to Isa, but she was here now.

They both gasped as they took in each other’s eyes. The _Sankru_ girl was almost unnaturally pale and yet her eyes were huge orbs coloured dark amber. Isa had never seen anything like them before. She noted how wide they were, looking directly into her own eyes. _Oh, right. Why couldn’t I look normal, like Borden or that other southern chieftain Indra? They have normal eyes._

“You have beautiful eyes.” The pale girl spoke before quickly covering her mouth. Her cheeks flushed slightly. Isa was taken aback; nobody had ever said that about her eyes before. Isa smiled shyly.

“Hi, I’m Isa.” In a flash of inspiration granted by meeting a new face, she added something she’d wanted to do since she was brought here all those years ago. “I’m Isa…Borden _kom Azgeda_.”

She tried to remember the last time she saw this oddly pale girl. _The Conclave, oh, perhaps that’s why she’s blocked from my memory; that and everything else from that day._

The _Sankru_ girl’s eyebrow quirked at the double name, but she smiled back, her face was still mortified after she said that candid thought aloud. “I’m Sylvie _kom Sankru_.”

Their brief moment was broken when Aden appeared at the door looking horrified. “Isa, Costia’s been taken.”

Isa’s response was instantaneous. She was up and by his side, with no thought to their earlier squabble. “What do you mean, _taken_? By who?” Isa hissed.

Aden’s eyes were wide with fear, Isa shook him bodily, “Where is _Costia!_ What’s going on?” Aden just shook his head as he ran off to inform the other Nightbloods.

“THAT’S NOT ACCEPTABLE TITUS, IF YOU AREN’T GIVING YOUR FULL EFFORT, THEN WHAT USE ARE YOU TO ME? ” Lexa’s voice carried from a couple floors above, freezing the two girls as they stopped talking.  A door slammed, hard. There was another moment of silence, presumably Titus attempting to talk her down. “SUMMON ANYA, MAEVE, AND BIANCA. NOW!” There was silence for a moment before Lexa appeared down the hall with Titus hurrying to keep up. She said, “Levi as well. He needs to be told. You need to find me the people responsible for this Titus. _That’s_ your one job now. I will bring the full might of my coalition to bear against those who would seek to take my beloved away from _Me_.” the keeper of the Flame nodded as he went off to do her bidding.

Lexa leaned against the wall for a moment, Isa and Sylvie peeked out form the room to see their new Commander finally look her age as she slid down the wall and just sit on the ground. She wrapped her arms around her knees keeping them as close to her as she could. Her eyes were closed in a way that made it clear she was desperately trying not to break. She remained like that for many minutes before there was even a flicker of movement in the corridor again. It was Bianca. Isa recognized the Commander’s older sister immediately, she was known only as such to the _Natblida_ and a few select others including Titus.

Lexa turned away from where Sylvie and Isa were hidden to face her softly approaching older sister. Lexa let out a lost, “Bianca?” The older sister swiftly dropped down to bring her small younger sister into her arms as the Commander finally succumbed to her emotions.


	16. Mercy

Part XVI: Mercy

_Lexa_

“That was the day when I think the pair of you realised I was just as vulnerable as the rest of you. The myth of the Invincible Commander died with Costia.” Lexa said. The thunder outside had abated somewhat, though the lightning lit up the sky in earnest. The staccato blazes of violet light illuminated the three faces in the room. Isa’s eyes were almost glazed over, she was clearly trapped in a memory. Sylvie moved to jostle her out of it, but Lexa lightly extended a single hand, “Let it pass. I’m no different; it’s better to let the memory play out and her to come back to us of her own volition, trust me. I suppose the myth of the Invincible Commander will be lost once you accept that the Flame might choose you one day.” Lexa’s lip quirked up slightly as Sylvie nodded.

“What do you think she’s remembering?” Sylvie asked softly.

Lexa narrowed her eyes in thought for a moment before answering, “Probably something to do with your first day back in Polis after your off-site training regiment. The day I lost Costia to Queen Nia, though didn’t know it was Nia at that point. That part happened a little later.”

Sylvie gulped before capitalizing on the Commander’s unusually open demeanour, “What was she like? Your Costia?” Lexa’s eyes widened at the question. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t–”

Sylvie was silenced with a simple hand on the shoulder and a reassuring yet sad smile, “It’s ok Sylvie, and you’ve naught to fear from me. Of course I’ll tell you about Costia. And when your _friend”_ Lexa’s lips quirked up again with the reaction Sylvie had to that word, “returns from the land of memories, I will discuss what else happened today that will probably change everything.”

“Is it something to do with your ah, secret team?” Sylvie asked tentatively, to which Lexa nodded her confirmation. “Is that why we saw Bianca here today leading a small group of people to the drinkhaus?” Lexa raised her eyebrows for a moment and then rolled her eyes. _Of course Bianca went to get them all numbed with drink; especially Octavia. That girl exceeded all expectations of skill and dedication; honestly, I’m shocked she isn’t a Nightblood. Clarke stopping her assassination was one of the best things to come from the business involving the final month of the Maunon._ _Thank you once again, Clarke._

Lexa looked the younger, taller girl up and down before continuing, “Costia was the first person I would have died for.” _She’s not the last._ _It’s not just Clarke either, not after tonight._

Isa gave a slight start as she dropped out of her memory; the devastated Commander still fresh in her mind. “You’re back?” Lexa asked with a slight smirk. Isa’s skin was dark to betray her blush, but Lexa knew it was there all the same. So did Sylvie, who grinned. “Not to worry, Isa Borden. Momentarily stepping back into memory is something that we as _Natblida_ do quite frequently.” Lexa said reassuringly. “Care to share with us when you were?” Isa’s expression quickly turned to regret as she lightly shook her head. Lexa looked at her for a moment before letting it drop; _It was_ that _day. They saw me in the hall where Bianca found me. They think they were hiding… they were amateurs at the time._

“Why did you cripple Cardin when I know you capable of taking him down without causing such harm?” Lexa asked lightly, almost trivially.

Isa and Sylvie both stiffened. Isa replied, “Because blood must have blood is not enough, _Heda._ If I didn’t end his attempts to maim Sylvie today, and he got off easily with a broken arm or something else, he would try again at a later time when she would be alone. They were only able to get as far as they did because they outnumbered her. What good is _jus drein jus daun_ if we cannot protect the people we truly care for?” At this point Isa glanced proudly at Sylvie, “After all _Heda_ , we both know in _solo gonplei,_ Sylvie would defeat either of those two cowards.” Lexa nodded, satisfied with her reasoning, and it was exactly the kind of answer the Commander wanted in order to lead into the next part of their discussion.

“So, in order to prevent a future disaster, you acted decisively and without mercy towards an enemy who was unwilling to sway to your past diplomatic efforts?” Lexa summarized all the while looking intently at Isa. The younger girl held her Commander’s gaze unwaveringly.

“I was merciful.” Isa almost whispered. Lexa cocked an eyebrow at that. Cardin’s injuries were horrific by any reasonable standard. “I let him live.” Isa truly did whisper this time, her ferocity gone. Sylvie ignored the presence of her Commander and pulled her dearest friend into a strong embrace. Sylvie knew how close Isa had been to ending her attacker, if Titus had not intervened when he had, there would be one less Nightblood tonight, and that was something even Isa wouldn’t be able to bear without the hollowing feeling that came with wetting her hands with lifeblood.

Lexa recognized Isa Borden’s expression all too well, so she laid a hand on the younger girl’s shoulder, “When I was a new Commander, all those years ago, Costia taught me an important lesson that she learned from her father’s assassination: _‘Mercy: An path of action reserved for the strong, and only the strong. While mercy may have an immediate diplomatic advantage, sparing an enemy may one day carry a steep cost.’”_ Lexa omitted the last part of Costia’s advice: _‘Especially for you, my love.’_ Lexa pondered what Costia had once taught her all those years ago. _She was right._

“So you’re saying that Isa should’ve killed Cardin?” Sylvie asked, shocked.

Lexa looked at Sylvie with a penetrating gaze, making the girl flinch slightly, though not drop her gaze. “I’m saying she made a choice, and the consequences for letting Cardin live as a cripple, won’t come from me.” Lexa paused for a moment as both girls pondered the consequences of letting the bully live, while his right hand was relatively fine. Lexa’s eyes wandered over both of them, and to her pleasant surprise found that they were holding hands. _How did I miss that?_ The Commander let out a long sight before saying, “I don’t owe you an explanation regarding what you call ‘my special team’, but I feel that it would be good for you to know about them under the condition that if you speak of them to anybody else of any rank or clan, you will die by my hand, publically.”

Isa and Sylvie both looked at each other in awe before gazing at Lexa with curiosity blazing in their eyes. Lexa’s tone was firm, but not cruel as she named the one condition of divulging this classified information.

“I swear to uphold your secrecy, _Heda,”_ Sylvie replied after Lexa waited a moment for them to respond.

“And I as well, will not tell a soul, you have my word,” Isa said on Sylvie’s heels.

 

Lexa nodded, looking between her two confidantes before saying, “The first thing you should know about them, is most of them are _Natblida_ , and they were not born that way.”


	17. Rebels

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lexa cuts short the conversation.

Part XVII: Rebels

_Sylvie_

            _What did Heda just say? Not born?_ Sylvie exchanged a shocked look with Isa as the Commander got up from her seat. Lexa very nearly smirked, despite herself, she knew she shouldn’t tease her Nightbloods so, but it was just too entertaining. The rain had stagnated somewhat, though a chill rushed through the room as the wind from the North moved in. “ _Heda,_ can you explain what you just said,” Sylvie asked calmly despite both of her legs quivering. Lexa smiled as Isa lightly put a hand on Sylvie’s pale thigh, causing them both to still.

            “I meant exactly what I said, they bleed black as surely as we do, however they were not always so. And I’ll explain the part the pair of you really want to know some other time, as the night is getting late, and it wouldn’t do to keep you up with such exciting secrets.” This part widened her smile a bit, to Sylvie and Isa’s indignation. “However, I think it’s important to return to an earlier point in our discussion.” Sylvie frowned slightly as her Commander’s face fell slightly. “Before I mentioned my team bathed in rumours, I asked if you had heard of the rebel problem the _Skaikru_ have been having.” _I was hoping_ Heda _would come back to them; their mention seemed out of place… oh my stars._ Sylvie gasped as she made the logical leap. Well, it was more of a hop, really. Isa just sent a quick one-two glance between her beloved and her Commander. Lexa tilted her head in consideration, wondering how much of the details they deserved to hear.

            Lexa decided to remove all doubt, “As of this morning at dawn, there isn’t a rebellious faction of _Skaikru_.” Isa’s eyes bulged as she wrapped her mind around the sheer gamble of it all. Sylvie, for her part was still wide-eyed as well. “I ordered their execution. They were apart from the contingent of _Skaikru_ that we made contact with, and they were using their cowards’ weapons to wipe out whole villages, both in _Azgeda_ and on our side of the border. Tomorrow I will inform their ah, _Chancellor, Doctor Griffin,_ of my actions, and why _Farm Station_ deserved to die.”

            Lexa’s tone verged into full Commander mode, enough so that both Sylvie and Isa instinctively shrank back a fraction. _So this is what it means to take Command._ Sylvie was no stranger to mass killings, after all, it was the reason she was initially trained far away from the other Nightbloods. But before Sylvie’s thoughts could get away from her, Lexa rose to her feet and made to leave the room, truncating their conversation, effectively leaving both younger girls wanting more uninterrupted time with their _Heda_.

            “One more thing for tonight,” _Here we go,_ Sylvie thought in anticipation, of what? She wasn’t sure, but it certainty wasn’t what she was expecting. “I’ve been conferring with the best of the past Commanders, Becca. We agree that the current method of succession, the Conclave, is illogical and must change. If you were Commander, how would you have your successor chosen?” Lexa left them both with a look of awe on their faces, and something else that warmed Lexa’s heart: hope.

**Author's Note:**

> Author's Note: I hope you enjoy my story, if you do, I'd be tickled if you left a kudos. But you'd make my day with a comment. And it's not just a vanity thing, I'm a poor judge of my own work, so criticism of any kind is welcome. Just don't be cruel...unless I kill a character you love, then I'll get it.


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